Broken Innocence

This movie had every right to be successful with it's story. The acting does it's job, there are some scenes of people trying to hard, however it's the technical issues that took me out of the film. Some editing choices were off putting such as an early scene with two girls sitting by a brick wall, it would have been more interesting to stay on them while you have both of their faces in the frame. Another one involves one character tossing another character car keys, you see the toss out of frame and the other character in another shot waiting, the editing would have been a lot better had they cut out just a few frames. Some shots could have been color corrected, certain shots were too bright.

The story is important and unfortunately still relevant.

Living in a tragic family life, a woman tries to deal with the abusive situation surrounding her parents that leaves her feeling abandoned and neglected which causes her to lash out at others leading to the realization that she can get away with murder and setting her off on a killing spree.

This was a massively underwhelming effort. Among its main problems is the way everything is just so disconnected and scattershot with the way it approaches the family dynamic. As it's supposed to be a continuous build-up of events over time leading to the snap and eventual realization of everything coming together to explain how it all leads to the killing spree, instead we're just dropped into the family dynamic with no build-up, no context, and little reason to care as a result. All we get is an angsty daughter snapping at everyone around her for the most indiscriminate means, a well-meaning mother who instead acts like a pushover due to the standoffish nature she portrays trying to keep the peace, and a father with an obviously secretive lustful desire to the daughter that strains the relationship with his wife. This works fine at establishing the motive later on as we get the backstory explaining everything about why she's distrustful of everyone and why she snaps the way she does, but it comes after the point we've lost interest in that due to the way we get dropped into a situation with unlikable people. That leads to the other big problem where it's just dragged out way too long for its own good with incidental elements that don't feel needed or necessary to the story. The endless therapy sessions that crop up without doing much of anything important in them, the mind-numbing hangouts with the daughter's best friend that don't really amount to much of anything about her, and the focus on trying to establish how the parents' needs are the main focus is on them rather than the daughter which is arguably far more important and intriguing. This causes the film to be far longer than it should be with the rampage coming across so late into the movie it's quite easy to forget what type of film it really is. As well as the other features involving the quest to seduce the handyman or trying to lean into his obsessive desires about his daughter drag this one out past the point of mattering about its positives. That doesn't distinguish from the fact that those positives are quite enjoyable. The more we learn about the true nature of what's going on with her damaged past serving as a fine prelude for the mind games she plays with everyone as what happened to her is a genuinely traumatic and disturbing incident that explains the behavior displayed completely. That she goes through such a convoluted and unhinged game makes all the more sense because of how she came to be from these incidents that lead to a scheme of a manipulative figure looking to strike back at those around her which includes the occasional murder attempt which are quite gruesome and bloody when they strike out of nowhere. Hence, the shock of it all comes together quite nicely. The frenzied and chaotic finale where the broken and shattered remains of what's happened to the both of them leaves this with some fun stalking and confrontations in play while also bringing about a logical way to wrap everything together so that the trauma of everything is handled rather well so it has some positive points about it. Overall, these manage to provide some enjoyable factors.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Violence, and intense themes of child sexual abuse.

Broken Innocence feels like a slow burn through the darkest corners of the human condition. It's a film that doesn't flinch, even when you wish it would. The story of a young girl whose innocence is destroyed by years of abuse at the hands of her father, and the cold, calculating teenager she becomes, is told with a rawness that cuts deep.

What stands out most is the score-haunting, relentless, it creeps under your skin, setting the tone for the bleak atmosphere that follows. It's not just background noise; the music feels like it's driving the story, syncing with the characters' every moment of tension, rage, and despair. The score becomes an extension of the film's emotional core, pulling you further into the girl's world, where nothing is safe, and every glance, every silence, hides something sinister.

Visually, the film is striking in its harshness. There's a deliberate coldness to the cinematography-sharp lines, dim lighting, and claustrophobic framing-that matches the emotional distance the main character has cultivated over the years. The world she inhabits is gritty and unforgiving, and the camera never shies away from showing the ugliness of her reality. The cinematography pulls no punches, offering a clear, stark look at her journey from victim to villain, as manipulative as she is damaged.

Broken Innocence isn't flashy or over-the-top; it's a film that tells a brutal story with restraint, letting the tension build slowly until it bursts. You feel for the girl, even as she makes choices that push her deeper into darkness. It's a powerful piece, thanks in no small part to its careful direction and strong performances, but the score and visuals are what linger, long after the credits roll.

1. The scene at the very beginning where Lilly is sitting outside the ambulance and the emergency vehicle lights are flashing on her... reminded me of the part in Fatal Attraction where Glenn Close is sitting in the dark and she's clicking the lamp light on and off. Fantastic imagery.

2. The "127 times" part with Lilly on the couch is absolutely heartbreaking. She made me feel it.

3. The end with Lilly & her mother telling her she's gonna do what she's never done before... what a mother is supposed to do for her children. Nail on the head!

This film isn't perfect by any means, but just these three parts made it worth watching, in my opinion.

I feel like the writing and the story could have been handled a little better and steered in a more realistic direction, but otherwise, I was surprisingly hooked to the movie! The acting does shine where it shines, and in some places, I feel like it could be better. I really liked the lead actress and how she plays her character!

Like I hinted at, writing and story could have been better. Let me elaborate. I feel like the story and it's dark twisted themes were handled in a fantasy type of sense rather than being grounded in reality, if that makes any sense. Though I do respect and appreciate that the film sets out to explore themes that are rather touchy and disturbing, I do feel like some parts of it can be a little much and do tend to go over the top with it's themes. But I do feel like some parts of it are handled quite well!

As a filmmaker myself, I feel like the film has a clean cinematic look that I can't help but appreciate, This was decently shot!

Overall, definitely not perfect, but not bad! The director and his cast working along side him has a lot of promise, and I can't wait to see what they all make next!